Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-09
A TALK WITH BISHOP IRELAND.
He is Enthusiastic Over the New CathO.
lie University-The Church and the
knights Of Labor.

Bishop Ireland, of st. Louis, who has been In at
tendance at the meeting OF prelates in Baltimore
TO determine as to the proposed Catholic Uni
versity, was in Washington yesterday and left last
night for New York While in this city he was
seen by STAR reporter, to whom he said that the
enthusiasm in regard TO the university which was
felt by all who attended the Baltimore conference
was shared by the main body Of Catholics through
out the country, and he did not think there would
be much difficulty in obtaining the money neCeS-
Sary to carry out the plans adopted.
ne Continued: "lhe undertaking is one of the
grandeSt the church has yet contemplated in this
country. II has been long charged, you know,
that the church was opposed tOgeneral education,
and partial purpose or the establishment Of this
great seat OF learning is Do disabuse the public
mind OF this illusion. We had OF course to con-
suit with al the bishops in the country, some by
letter and some In person, and l may say that it
was the opinion OF almost all OF them that Wash
fngtOn, as the capital and central point OF this
great country, was the nttest place for the loca-
lion OF the university. The exact site has been
selected, but as the details OF transfer not en-
tirely completed may not say where IL lies. Con-
tracts will be at once let, however, Tor the work.
and it will proceed without delay. part OF the
purpose OF the university is higher educa-
ton for our priesthood, to place them
upon a plane with the priesthood OF the
Church In Europe. 1t VIII be sort OF post-gradu-
ate course, and the establishment or it Will cost
million dollars. Buildings will be at once put up
and faculty Of ten chairs organized We are TO
secure the best teachers for this course and have
secured the services OF three OF Europes most emf
nent lecturers. Pastor, the great German his
torian, is to come to us from the University OF
Innsbruck, In the Tyro, as our lecturer on history,
and II. 7. Vernat from one OF the universities OF
Rome. comes as q lecturer on ASSyriolOgy and
Egyptolosy: The third ! am not at liberty to
lied at an early day. The university viii be
non-sectarian In way; that is, its benefits
will not be confined to Roman Catholics. 1t
Will have schools OF law and medicine and
courses in the sciences and classics free to all.
The faculty VIII be from within the church. and
the influences thrown around all who enter the
6tSftDcftVnly Catholic I am nj
To say the purpose VI the university is to build up
and strengthen the church in this country, and
the church Will remain prominent in all the work
OF the great SCHOOL"
Turning to other TOPICS the bishop was asked
his opinion OF the statement teegraphed this
morning from London to the effect that the vati-
can was Offering It's services q mediator be-
tween England and Ireland, asking as the price
therefor The placing OF nuncio at London.
II DO not think, said he, THAT there is any
foundation for that statement. III Rome desired
to place a nunciO at London it would ask for the
establishment OF diplomatic relations in an I'M
equivOcal manner, and not the price OF any
favor. As to the plan itself l think it could not
succeed. think the Irish people Will work out
their own salvation in time. They have been
steadlly, Dut successfully working out their prob
lem, and the public sentiment OF the world is with
them It will be but few months, 1 think till
Gladstone returns TO power and the Irish question
will be practically settled"
The church seems TO have maintained strong
position throughout the struggle, was suggested
"Ihat Is due entirely to the MAGNIFICENT manape.
ment OF Cardinal Manning and the archbishop OF
Dublin. who have given the situation in Ireland
daily thought and attention.
Regarding his CWn reported elevation to an
arcnDshopric the bishop would say nothing stat
ing that he could not talk about that at present.
Regarding the attitude of the church toward the
Knights of Labor ne said:
The church has Withdrawn It's diSapproval OF
the organization, holding that its secret work is
harmless so long as 1t does not fOment riots i'm
morality or 1rreiigon. While the church is Op-
posed to secret societies OF all kinds 1t holds that
the secrecy OF the knights Is rather OF political
q oil,
to have regarding their business affairs. The or
ganlzatlon has shown no disposition to foment
do not think 1t is likely to, although we cannot
tell What would happen should any other man be
elected TO PowderIy's place. Under these c1rcunl-
stances the church has tolerated the association
without extending to it its approval" In cOnclu-
sion, Bishop Ireland said: Il called upon the
President to-day, and had pleasant chat with
him. lie IS full or the development OF the North
west, and anticipates great pleasure from his pro-
posed visit TO st. Paul and Minneapolis"